Treatment Options For Smashed Toe: What Are Its Symptoms?

Smashed toe is a common injury that may affect daily activity of a person; especially walking. It is a traumatic injury usually resulting from dropping of a heavy object on the toe. It may also be caused when your toe is stubbed against something hard such as a table or any furniture.

The symptoms of smashed toe are easily noticeable as the toe soon becomes swollen and painful. It may also be accompanied with cuts and bruises depending on the injury. The most common complication includes toenail injury, fracture of toe, infection, excessive bleeding or formation of hematoma, and other deformities.

Seek immediate treatment if your toe is smashed as early treatment will reduce possibility of infection and deformities in later stage.

Symptoms Of Smashed Toe

The most common immediate symptom when your toe is smashed is pain in the toe. Soon you may observe that your toe has swollen and it has become stiff after the injury. You may find it difficult to walk. Most often injury occurs to the great toe or little toe. Walking with smashed great toe is more difficult than an injury to the little toe.

Other contributory symptoms include brazing of skin around the affected toe.

The toe may become deformed if the bone is broken or the bone of the toe is displaced from its normal joint. In most cases the nail in injured along with toe.

Blood may leak from the nail bed or from the cut and bruises. After few days, swelling in toe increases considerably and the skin becomes black due to formation of hematoma. It may take weeks to swelling to subside.

How To Take Care Of A Smashed Toe?

The following tips are useful in reducing pain and swelling that occurs after your toe is smashed with an object.

Soak your toe in cold water for few minutes. Repeat it at an interval of one hour for two to three times. This will help in reducing pain and swelling.

You can also use an ice pack over the injured area for few minutes. It serves the same purpose of reducing pain and swelling.

Anti inflammatory medicines will also help in reducing pain and swelling. However, consult your doctor before taking these medicines.

If the skin is torn and your toe is bleeding, immediately apply gauze after cleaning the area with antiseptic solution. Apply an antibiotic ointment, before placing the gauze over the bleeding site. Apply pressure for few minutes and keep your leg elevated to reduce swelling and bleeding.

If the pain continues or increases and it has lost its normal alignment seek medical advice. He may suggest X-ray of the traumatized toe to rule out fracture of the toe. Your doctor will also give a tetanus shot.

Keep watch on toenail if there is hematoma underneath the toe. There is always risk of infection. You may need to take antibiotics if that is the case. If the hematoma does not subside, your physician may remove the nail or puncture it from the top to let the blood out. Sometimes if the nail is extremely damaged, it has to be removed. Your doctor will do it under local anesthesia.